How the iPad Mini is Impacting the Enterprise

The iPad Mini has hit shelves and is presenting yet another mobile option for the enterprise. The adoption of mobility by enterprises, however, is a larger question than just hardware. Enterprises must consider their complete mobile ecosystem from OS maturity to IT Infrastructure in order to provide secure services to their end users. Tablet and, in particular, iPad adoption within the enterprise has taken place rapidly over the last couple of years, ousting laptops as the preferred business tool for interacting with your enterprise while on the move.

The combination of a high resolution screen, long battery life, interactive UI and built-in connectivity is a compelling set of ingredients for delivering enterprise applications via tablets and other connected devices. Uniquely, tablets have also changed the customer/sales relationships with the salesman demonstrating his products and services directly to the customer with rich interactive videos, charts, animation and even 3D models. Upon leaving the customer, the salesman is now able to instantly update the enterprise CRM solution with up-to-date information from the meeting.

By bringing a new, smaller form factor, Apple is opening up new opportunities within the enterprise - targeting those users who require access to the enterprise systems within a smaller package - a package which is pocket-able, can be operated with one hand, or even mounted in a vehicle while still supporting the same iOS platform. Greater adoption for both in-building and out-of-building mobility will also lead to increased collaboration between employees and to the employee driving the corporate IT strategy. What we are now seeing is that there are three very distinct scenarios for deploying tablets in the enterprise:

-As a companion device to existing devices the employee already uses such as a PC or Smartphone -As a replacement device for employees that are highly mobile and do not need to perform certain tasks that still require a PC’s full set of capabilities
-As a new device brought into an organization as part of a wider process re-engineering effort such as in hospitals as they transition from paper to digital systems

It is our belief that the iPad mini will further accelerate this as it clearly aligns well to the above three key scenarios for tablet adoption. This is also highly likely to further stimulate a transition from the employee-led deployment approach (where employees purchase and bring an iPad or tablet into the enterprise) to an enterprise-led approach where the enterprise seeks to gain the maximum possible efficiency by support tablets or where the tablet is a central part of the overall system design from the beginning.

The ability to run existing iPad applications only further reduces the barriers to adoption by enterprises and mirrors the strategy Microsoft adopted in maintaining software consistency while hardware innovated. The ability to offer an enterprise user an iPad, iPad mini or iPhone depending on their mobility requirements while at the same time maintaining a consistent software platform will be a strong argument for iOS adoption within many enterprises.

Google, with their Nexus range, are now starting to embrace the same strategy providing a consistent OS across the key form factors. However Android has some way to go to catch the leadership position of iOS. Microsoft is aiming to leverage its leadership position in the desktop/laptop space with Windows 8 - but lacks the 7-8" tablet proposition and tablets are rapidly eroding the laptop’s position within the enterprise. Also RIM should not be ignored as it starts to roll out the QNX-based BlackBerry 10 operating system and thus offers both Smartphone and tablets based on the same OS platform. If RIM can leverage its heritage and position in the current, secure enterprise messaging space then it may well find that the tablet segment becomes an integral part of its turnaround story.

We are seeing huge interest within the enterprise to extend their solutions to the tablet - not only to employees but partners and customers as well, expanding the enterprise boundaries and transforming the way that customer interaction takes place. It’s clear that right now iOS-powered devices hit the sweet spot of desirability, quality, security and manageability that enterprises demand and the iPad Mini opens up new use cases and niches.

Apple’s competitors, however, are not out of the race just yet. There are opportunities for other companies that are developing both software and hardware for the enterprise and only time will tell who will come out on top. It’s clear that most enterprises still don’t have a true mobility strategy and are figuring out the best way to capitalize on mobile from an expense and productivity perspective. With new hardware hitting the marketplace at a rapid speed, this is a monumental task. Depending on what each company’s needs are, a certain tablet and software system might be better for them than another. The book on tablet wars is surely not over – we are still only in the first chapter.

Dave Evans is SVP and CTO of the Enterprise Division at Symphony Teleca.

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ipad mini is a good device with bigger screen and good features. Also iPad Mini Cases are available to make it attractive and protect your device from damages. Its very handy and most users are attracted towards it so that they use this amazing device.